Short and to the point

We take a short break from our usual program today. Here’s a word from our sponsor 😀 Author Blog Tour.

Was it my intention to be a writer? In all honesty, no. It happened as a result from a car accident and then a trip to Europe. My talented friend Andrew Hill extended an invitation to talk about what I write and posted his very enlightening and intriguing writing process last week. You can check out his blog here: Andrew Hill

On with the questions…

What am I working on?
At present, I am rewriting my epic novel The Legacy, the first book in a trilogy. If everything goes according to schedule (I can hear you snickering), I plan to publish it later this year. I am also working on a novella series based on the travels of Herodotos, dubbed the “Father of History”. The first time I read his Histories I was enthralled, his style and penchant for exaggeration give one a sense of incredulity and a chuckle. Though there are pertinent historical facts in his book.

How does my work differ from others of its genre?
The aim is to make mythology and history accessible to readers whether you are a historian or a reader who has not read myths in the original context. It is not meant to be literary, though I have been told my short story collection Accursed Women would suit high school students as the narrative is contemporary and easy to follow.

Why do I write what I do?
I enjoy good stories and read a lot of non-fiction books as well. I was inspired to write historical fiction/mythology since I read the myth of Atlantis. From there I read what I could get my hands on Greek Mythology and evolved to Egyptian, Roman, Mesopotamian and Middle Eastern cultures. We can learn a lot from these myths, their messages are still valid today.

How does your writing process work?
When I get an idea I tend to brainstorm, see whether there is enough detail to develop it into a story. I then develop the characters and plot. I try not to be too prescriptive as it tends to interfere with my creative process. I do break the story in scenes, which is more a general guide and to keep me on track. Though I do tend to stray as the characters have their own agenda as to how the story should evolve!

I try to aim and write about 500 words a day, some days writing is harder than others and when I have those sorts of days, I spend time researching. Each of the short stories in Accursed Women took about four weeks to write. I found the morning is the best time for me to write, mind is fresher and generally more productive. I leave editing to the end, go through the manuscript, make changes, put it away for a few weeks and start on a new story. I’ll edit it a few more times before I give to my beta readers.

Thank you for visiting and reading my post.

Though this is an author blog tour, I was rather forgetful as to asking other writers to post and follow on. So I thought I’d recommend a few colleagues who I admire:

Luciana…
Thank you dear sister for the invite. I’m so honored you thought of me. I love getting to know my friends better, and getting a peek at how they do what they do.
As soon as things calm around here (youngest has prom and graduation looming) I will join the tour. Thank you again, for including me with these other lovely writers.
Love you dearly…

Hi Taylor
It is my honour, I am very blessed to know and count you as a dear friend.
There is no rush, as you would have read, I didn’t get around to asking other authors to participate hence my recommendations.
Love and hugs
Luciana 😀

Excellent to know more of you as a writer Luciana. I am sure that your next book will be a hit…
Your approach of both, Mythology and History have already shown me how bright you shine through your words.
Good Luck then & Best Wishes,
Aquileana 😉